Run
by simplyxamazing
Summary: When Draco runs away from the life his father wants for him, he finds safety in the home of Hermione Granger.
1. Prologue

_His whole life he had been trapped. He'd followed orders, and done exactly what was asked of him. The Dark Lord singled him out for reasons unknown to him, and he obeyed his every command. The Cruciatus curse became his signature move, and he used it well. He was young, true, but that only made his appeal greater._

_But he was done._

_He was done with all the torture, all the screaming, and all the pain. Once he had believed he enjoyed all that being a Death Eater entailed. But now the Dark Lord was dead, and the Death Eaters were no more._

_Or so he thought._

_He heard his parents up one night, talking in hushed voices._

"_He's young." His mother protested._

"_He's twenty one." His father snapped. "He could be a great asset to us. We need to be redeemed in the other's eyes. After how you betrayed the Dark Lord—"_

"_I was protecting our family!" His mother exclaimed furiously. "If it wasn't for me, we'd all be in Azkaban!"_

"_If it wasn't for you, the Dark Lord may still be alive!" His father countered._

"_I did what I thought was best for us, and for our son." His mother whispered._

"_Yes, well, it's time Draco proved his worth." His father drawled. "The few of us that are still alive are gathering tonight, and he will be coming with me. You, however, are no longer welcome. It will be up to me and Draco to salvage what's left of the Malfoy name."_

"_The war is over." His mother said softly. "Let it be."_

"_My dear," His father began, "The war has just begun."_

_Draco heard footsteps advancing up the steps to his room. He knew without a doubt that it was his father coming to get him, to trap him once again in the life he hated._

_So he did the only logical thing he could think of._

_He ran._

--

"What?" Ginny Weasley exclaimed. "You cannot be serious!"

"This is not a joking matter." Mrs. Weasley said. "It is what must be done." Ginny turned towards Hermione who, up until this point, had been silent for the past ten minutes.

"And you agree to this?" Ginny asked her. Hermione nodded.

"I don't really have a choice." She muttered.

"Of course you have a choice!" Ginny told her. "He's a Malfoy for Merlin's sake!" Mrs. Weasley sent a furious look in Ginny's direction.

"He needs a place to hide, and Muggle London would make the perfect place." She explained.

"So because of Hermione's preferred living arrangement, you're condemning her to hell for who knows how long?" Ginny asked, her temper still flaring.

"Enough!" Mrs. Weasley snapped. "You may be twenty years old, but I am still your mother and I will not allow you to talk to me like that!"

Ginny shrank back and looked down at her feet.

"Sorry." She muttered. Mrs. Weasley's expression softened.

"Hermione, dear," she said, addressing the bushy-haired woman for the first time in what felt like hours, "You do realize what this entails, correct?" Hermione nodded.

"I think I can handle it." She said. Mrs. Weasley smiled.

"Of course you can." She said. "And remember, he's changed. He's not the same boy you knew at Hogwarts."

Ginny scoffed.

"Yeah right." She muttered, and her mother once again sent her a glare.

"Alright, Alright." Ginny said, throwing her hands up in defeat. "I'll drop it." She walked over and grabbed Hermione by the arm. "We need to get to work anyways. Hermione's already fifteen minutes late, and I've almost completely missed quidditch practice."

"I'm never late!" Hermione exclaimed. Ginny shrugged.

"Yeah, well, there's a first time for everything." She turned towards her mother, who had begun to open her mouth. "Don't worry mum, I won't try to talk her out of it. Once Hermione's made up her mind, no one can change it."

Hermione smiled. Ginny knew her well.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Weasley." She said. "I'll be sure to check in with you often."

And with that, they raised their wands and disapparated in sync with one another.

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**Sorry this chapter was so short. The others will be longer, I promise.**

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	2. Chapter 1

Hermione took one final glance around at her apartment and smiled in approval. It had been a while since it had been properly cleaned. She had refused to do magic anywhere near muggles, and couldn't afford a maid, so her and Ginny had been cleaning for the past three hours.

"Remind me why we're doing this again." Ginny said as she walked in from the kitchen, broom in her hand. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun and she looked exhausted. Hermione smiled at Ginny's disheveled appearance. Luckily, Ginny had offered to finish the cleaning while Hermione took a shower. Hermione guessed that she looked quite a bit better than Ginny—a good thing in her opinion.

"Because," Hermione began, "Malfoy is used to the Manor, which I'm sure is always spotless."

"He's also used to being waited on twenty-four hours a day." Ginny stated, aggravated. Out of all the people Hermione knew—with the exception of Ron—Ginny was the most upset about Hermione's new roommate. "Please don't tell me you're going to become his house elf too."

Hermione rolled her eyes. She was used to Ginny's constant complaining, and had learned to ignore it.

"Thanks for helping me with the cleaning." She said.

"You changed the subject." Ginny pointed out. "But you're welcome. Just please don't ask me to do any more favors for Malfoy. It's possible I might die from it."

Hermione laughed.

"Deal."

The doorbell suddenly rang, and Ginny's eyes narrowed.

"I'd love to stay and welcome your guest, but I have work that needs to be done." Ginny said, though Hermione knew she was just making an excuse that would get her as far away as possible. She raised her wand, waved to Hermione, and then disappeared with a crack. Hermione shook her head and smiled. Ginny would never change.

Hermione slowly made her way to the door and took a deep breath before opening it. Outside stood Draco, wearing a plain white t-shirt and jeans. Hermione had never seen him in muggle clothes, and the picture almost made her laugh. He looked incredibly uncomfortable, though his gaze and usual smirk would say differently.

"Granger." He stated impassively, and his gaze never left her face.

"Draco." Hermione said politely, and smiled. She had promised herself to be as civil as possible, no matter what the circumstance. Draco's eyes bore into hers, but she refused to back down. They were caught in a twisted sort of staring match until Draco finally smirked.

"Are you going to let me in, or what?" He asked irritably. Hermione smiled once again and nodded. She wasn't going to let him have the satisfaction of watching her lose her temper.

"Of course." She said and gestured into the apartment. "Come in."

Grudgingly, it seemed, he entered the apartment. He inspected his surroundings with a disgusted look. Hermione watched as his gaze went from the kitchen, to the living room, and then to the door leading into Hermione's private library. Finally, he turned back around to face her.

"Where's my room?" He asked and held up his suitcase. If he thought that she was going to carry his things up to his room, he was crazy. However, Hermione managed to look unfazed, and smiled. She noted that she was forcing herself to smile frequently in his presence.

"Upstairs." She stated and started walking towards the staircase. "I'll show you." Draco followed her up the stairs into what she had chosen as his room. Like the rest of the house, the walls were white and bare. She had contemplated adding decorations, but found that she had no idea what he would like. So, she opted for a single wooden dresser and a plain gray bedspread. Light streamed in through a window on the left side of the bed. It seemed to place a spotlight on Draco, and Hermione noticed that he seemed paler than usual. He also bore dark circles under his eyes, and for one quick moment Hermione actually felt sorry for him.

"Sorry about the lack of decorations and furniture." She told him. "If you tell me what you'd like, I can go to the store and—"

"It's fine." He said harshly. Apparently he was in no mood to talk. He unzipped his suitcase and pulled out a rather large book. "I have work to do." He told her. Hermione knew when she was being dismissed, so she turned and began to walk down the steps. When she had taken three steps she stopped and turned.

"Why did you run?" She asked him suddenly. It was a question she had been wondering the answer to since Mrs. Weasley had told her he needed a place to stay. She knew she was being forward, but she really didn't care. If she was offering him protection the least he could do was tell her why he was there. Draco looked up at her.

"I got bored." He stated. It seemed rehearsed, as if he had been repeating the same statement over and over again in his head.

"Of what?" Hermione asked angrily. "Killing and torturing innocent people?"

Draco scowled at her.

"You have no idea what you're talking about." He snapped, his face livid.

"Don't I?" Hermione asked. "Or did I just imagine you watching me being tortured by your aunt? As I recall, you did nothing to stop her." Tears had begun forming in her eyes. She was still shaken from the event, even though it had taken place four years ago.

"That was then." Draco said. "I've—"

"Changed?" Hermione asked. "So I've heard." She gave him a particularly harsh glare. "I'll believe that when I see it." She muttered, though she made sure he could hear her. Then, she turned and walked angrily down the stairs. It had barely been five minutes, and already she was thinking about how nice it would be when he was gone.

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	3. Chapter 2

Hermione sat calmly at the kitchen table, which had been lined with dozens of breakfast items. She had no idea what kinds of things Draco ate, so she had fixed every breakfast food she could think of. Everything from eggs and bacon, to toast, bagels, fruit, and cereal sat on top of the polished black table. She had placed a plate on the table in front of the chair that sat directly across from the seat she was currently occupying. She had wanted Draco to sit as far away from her as possible.

A small brown owl flew through the kitchen window and dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet on the table beside Hermione. She petted its head and offered it a piece of bacon. The owl took it, and then flew off. She had been so preoccupied with the owl that she hadn't noticed Draco coming down the stairs. Today he had apparently chosen to wear a tight-fitting plain black t-shirt and another pair of light colored jeans. Hermione still thought he looked different in his muggle clothes, she just wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing.

Draco looked down at the table and inspected the many food items silently. His nose was turned up in disgust, just as it had been when he was taking a look around her apartment. Hermione was beginning to think that his face was permanently stuck like that.

"No one's forcing you to eat it." Hermione snapped. She had spent hours preparing everything, and was offended that he seemed to hate everything she had made. Draco didn't reply, but pulled out his chair and sat down. Hermione took a bagel and opened the Daily Prophet, looking for any news relating to Draco's disappearance. It had only been one day, so she doubted there would be anything, but she wanted to check to make sure.

"I need the salt." Draco's voice said as Hermione was reading a piece on Ginny's Quidditch match. They had won—two hundred points to sixty. Hermione folded the paper down enough so that she could peer over it and see Draco and the table.

"Get it then." She told him. Draco scowled.

"It's on your side of the table." He said. Hermione looked and sure enough, the salt shaker was much closer to her than it was him.

"Then treat me like an actual person and ask me—nicely—to pass you the salt." She replied harshly. She was in no mood to be treated like a servant. This was her home, and he was going to follow her rules.

"Fine." Draco said. "I'll get it myself." He went to raise his wand when Hermione screamed.

"NO!" She threw the closest thing she could grab, which happened to be a knife, at Draco's wand. The handle of the knife hit the tip of his wand, and it and the wand crashed to the floor.

"What the hell?" Draco exclaimed. "Are you mad? You could've killed me!"

Hermione glared at him. A part of her wished that she would have.

"You almost killed yourself." Hermione said. When Draco looked confused, she explained further. "We're in a completely muggle community." She told him.

"So?" Draco questioned. Hermione huffed.

"So," she began, "With you being a pure blood, a Malfoy, and a Death Eater, the last place anyone would expect you to be is in Muggle London in the home of someone like me." She paused and sighed. "However, if magic is detected near any muggles, it will immediately be reported to the Ministry of Magic. We have no idea if there are Death Eaters in the Ministry, though to be safe it would be best if neither of us practiced magic. We don't want any Death Eaters getting suspicious; especially when news gets out that you have mysteriously disappeared."

Draco got up from the table and went to retrieve his wand, but left the knife on the floor. He then proceeded to inspect his wand for damage, of which he found none.

"What good is being a wizard if you can't do magic?" He muttered. Hermione folded her paper up neatly and placed it back on the table.

"About as good as someone like you using all their talents for evil." She said as she stood up and began clearing the table.

"And let me guess, you'd rather I'd become like Saint Potter and save the world?" He asked mockingly, and laughed. "I could kill you with one flick of my wand."

Hermione nodded as her gaze went to his wand. His knuckles were white from the grip he had placed on it.

"You could." She said, and she truly had no doubt that he wasn't capable. "But you won't."

Draco stood rigid as he watched Hermione continue to clear off the table. She stacked the plates up in the sink and began to wash them, one at a time.

"You underestimate me." Draco stated, arrogantly. He tossed his wand up and caught it in midair. Hermione turned around to face him.

"I don't underestimate what you're capable of doing." She told him. "I also have no doubt that you've killed before. Though whether or not it was a choice you made, I can't say."

"I make my own choices." Draco stated, his eyes blazing. Hermione nodded and forced a murmur of agreement. She was tired of arguing with him, and knew that however right she was, he wouldn't let her win.

"Of course you do." She said quietly. She reached for a towel and dried off the dishes. Draco's eyes followed her as she put them up in the cupboard, and then grabbed her coat out of a nearby closet.

"I'm going to work." She told him and walked over to the door. Before she left, she turned around once more.

"I wouldn't recommend leaving the apartment." She told him. "Just incase." Draco remained emotionless and he looked away, walking over to the couch. Hermione sighed, bit her lip, and then exited the apartment. She breathed in deeply the cool, fresh air and then slowly walked down the steps.

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	4. Chapter 3

Hermione entered her apartment after a long day of work. She hung her coat up in the closet beside the door, and then turned around. Fully expecting for Draco to be sitting on the couch, it surprised her that he was nowhere to be found.

"Draco?" She called. When no answer came, she panicked. "I swear, Malfoy, if you're hiding from me—"

"Don't get so worked up, Granger. You could hurt yourself." Draco's voice said from behind her. She spun around and saw Draco exiting the library.

"What were you doing in there?" Hermione said.

"Reading." Draco said. "What else do you do in a library?" He walked into the kitchen and began opening the cupboards.

"Besides," he said. "It's not as if there's anything else to do here." He slammed the first two cupboards closed. "Where the hell are the cups?" He asked. Hermione glared at him.

"Above the stove." She said. "And there's plenty to do here. You could watch TV or listen to the radio."

Draco opened the cupboard above the stove and grabbed a blue plastic cup. He filled it up with water, and then took a sip.

"I don't use muggle inventions." He said. He rolled his shoulders back and stuck his chin slightly up.

"You think very highly of yourself." Hermione said.

"Well I _am_ a Malfoy."

"And a lot of good that's done you." Hermione said. "Incase you forgot, you're in hiding."

Draco scowled and walked back into the library. He slammed the door behind him and Hermione rolled her eyes. She counted to ten slowly in her head and then went into the library after him. Three bookshelves lined the walls on either side, and Draco lay on the single couch, reading. Four huge piles of books were stacked neatly on the floor in front of him. Hermione pointed to them.

"What are these?" She asked. Draco glanced up at her to see where she was pointing.

"All the books I've read before." He replied. Hermione was shocked. There were at least a hundred, maybe more. She'd never met anyone—much less a man—who read as much as she did. She cocked her head to the side and smiled at him.

"You like reading?" She asked.

"Obviously."

Hermione sat down in the floor and began looking through the books he had placed in the stacks. Draco returned to his book, ignoring her. However, his mouth twitched in a slight smirk.

"What's your favorite book?" Hermione said. Now that she knew they had something in common, he intrigued her. She felt that maybe books could be the way to get through to him.

Draco turned his head to look at her.

"Don't have one." He said. She smiled.

"Of course you do." She said. "Personally, my favorite has always been Hogwarts: A History. I think I've read it about a hundred times."

Draco scoffed. "That _would_ be your favorite."

Hermione slammed the book closed she was inspecting and looked up.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked. Draco sat up and looked at her.

"Hermione Granger, the smartest witch of her year." Draco mocked. "Hogwarts was where you were better than everyone. You were an annoying, bushy-haired little know-it-all, and you loved every second of it." Hermione bit her lip. She was not giving him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"You make it seem like everything was so easy for me." She said.

"Wasn't it?" Draco sneered. "You always got everything you wanted."

Hermione laughed even though she felt like crying.

"Everything I wanted?" She asked. She stepped towards him, and stared up at his face. "Do you think I wanted to be called mudblood, to be ridiculed by people like you?" She glared at him.

"You made my life miserable." She paused and sighed. "And yet, here I am protecting you. I didn't have to agree to this, you know."

"Then why did you?" Draco's eyes were dark as he towered over her.

"I was told you had changed." Hermione said. Her shoulders sunk as she slowly released her threatening stance. "Apparently they were wrong."

Draco stared at her as she walked towards the door. There was a pain in his chest that he'd never felt before, as if someone was holding his heart tightly in the palm of their hand. Hermione turned her head to take one last glance at him. He watched as a tear slid slowly down her cheek, and she took a deep breath before exiting the room. It was one of the few times that Draco had truly felt guilty for anything. He ran his fingers through his hair, and then sat down on the couch. The stacks of books were in perfect order, and he smirked as he realized that she had alphabetized them. The smirk slowly turned into a scowl and he kicked the stacks over, watching as the books became a single unorganized pile. Smirking triumphantly, he lay back on the couch and stared at the ceiling. He noted with annoyance that the pain in his chest still remained.

**XXX**

When Hermione left the library, she went to her room and threw herself on her bed. She picked up her pillow and squeezed it tightly to her chest. Tears fell and landed on her white sheets, making part of them darken in color. Out of all the things to be crying over, she was crying over bloody Draco Malfoy. She wanted to laugh at herself for being so stupid. How could she, Hermione-Mudblood-Granger, be the one to help Draco turn his life around? She had wanted so badly for Mrs. Weasley to be right, and for Draco to truly be changed.

Maybe, Hermione thought, he truly is a lost cause.


	5. Chapter 4

When Hermione returned home from work the next day, she found several odd things. As soon as she entered the door, the scent of many different foods filled her nostrils. She inhaled deeply as she looked for the source of the smell. Draco, to Hermione's surprise, was in the kitchen. He was standing over the stove cooking a pot of what looked like vegetable soup. He filled two bowls with the soup and began carrying them to the table when he noticed her.

"You're early." He said as he laid the bowls on the table. Earlier he had also placed a roast and a loaf of bread in the center of the table. Hermione nodded.

"I finished my work early." She said. She remained unmoving, still in shock that Draco had prepared all the food for her. She honestly considered checking to make sure he was not imperiused. It was so unlike him. Draco gestured to the table.

"Sit." He commanded, and Hermione obeyed. He took the seat across from her, and watched her closely, eyeing her reaction.

"This is amazing." Hermione said. Draco said nothing, but Hermione saw the faint glimmer of a smile upon his face. "How did you do all this?" She asked. Draco shrugged.

"It wasn't that hard." He stated in his usual arrogant tone.

"For someone who has never cooked a day in his life it is." Hermione said. Draco glared at her, but remained silent. Hermione sighed. "I'm sorry." She said. "It's just—"

"You're right." Draco said. "But who said I cooked all this?" His lips curved into a smirk and Hermione watched as he reached into his pocket for his wand.

"You used magic?" Hermione exclaimed. "Did you not listen to me when I said that you could be tracked? I know you're daft but this, this is just suicide!" Her eyes were blazing. She had tried her best to protect him, and now he had gone and ruined everything. She was surprised Death Eaters weren't kicking down the door at this very moment.

"You should learn to be a little less uptight." Draco drawled as he placed his wand on the table. Hermione glared at him. "I used the phone." He said.

"You ordered all of this?" Hermione asked. She now felt incredibly stupid and mortified at her previous outburst. "I'm sorry." She said. "I should've—"

"Trusted me more?" Draco asked. "Yes, you should have."

Hermione stared down at her plate. She really didn't know what to say to him. He had tried to do something nice for her—though she had no idea why—and she had gone and yelled at him for it. She felt that no amount of apologizing would make up for her actions.

"This is great, really." Hermione said. Her voice was weak; as if she was afraid speaking loudly would break him. Draco looked up at her for a split second, and then he began piling his plate with food. For the next twenty minutes, Draco and Hermione sat in complete silence while they slowly ate the food. When Hermione was finished, she folded her napkin neatly and sat it on the table.

"Listen Draco, there's something—" She began, but a knock on the door interrupted her. They both turned towards it.

"Let us in Hermione. We know you're in there." Ginny's voice said.

"Yeah, come on, Mione. It's freezing out here." Ron said. Another knock on the door sounded, this one more forceful than the last. Hermione turned back to Draco and looked apologetic.

"You invited Weasleys?" Draco asked, as if the name disgusted him. Hermione knew that more likely than not, it did.

"Hermione!" A third voice said. Draco glared at the door.

"And Potter?" He asked. "You have got to be kidding me."

Hermione glanced at the door before turning back to look at Draco.

"I didn't invite them, I swear." She said. Draco continued to glare at the door, and looked as if he didn't believe her.

"I'll be in the library." He told her, and got up and left the table.

"Draco!" She called after him, but he didn't turn around. Hermione sighed and got up to open the door. At once, she was bombarded by Ginny, who threw her arms around her.

"I thought Malfoy might have killed you or done something else equally terrible." Ginny said. Hermione pulled away.

"I'm fine." She stated. Her tone of voice was colder than she meant it to sound, but no one seemed to notice. The three visitors walked in and Hermione took their coats.

"Where is he?" Ron asked. He was looking around wildly for Draco. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Not here, obviously." She lied. She didn't want them cornering Draco with questions, which she knew they would do if they found him.

"How have you been?" Harry asked, and Hermione was glad for the change of topic.

"Good." She said. It wasn't untrue. Living with Draco hadn't been the terrible thing she thought it would be. Sure, he was difficult at times, but she found that she rather liked the bickering. Hermione led them to the living room, and they all sat down on the two black leather couches.

"Good?" Ron asked. He looked as if he believed she was lying. "You've been living with the enemy."

"He's not the enemy, Ronald. He's running from them, remember?" Hermione said. It seemed as if no one but her remembered anything but how Draco was when they were at Hogwarts. Ron scoffed.

"He's brainwashed you." He said. Hermione glared at him, but chose not to say anything. She was nearing her breaking point.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Harry asked. Concern filled his eyes, and Hermione smiled.

"Of course." She said happily. A little too happily, she thought, because that seemed only to increase the concern in his eyes. "I'm fine, really." She assured him. Harry nodded. He seemed convinced, but the others did not.

"Mum could always find someone else to protect him." Ginny said. Hermione shook her head.

"No." She replied quickly. Ron cocked an eyebrow at her sudden answer. Her attempts at reassuring them only seemed to increase their worry. "He's really not that bad." Hermione said. She glanced over at the still messy table and smiled. Ginny bit her lip.

"If you say so." She said, though she still remained unconvinced. Hermione had no doubt that later she would still be answering questions about Draco from all three of her best friends. A sudden loud crashing noise came from the library and all four of them turned to look at the door.

"What was that?" Ron asked. Hermione avoided his gaze and looked down.

"A cat?" She offered weakly.

"You don't have a cat." Ginny said. She stood up and began walking toward the door.

"He's in there, isn't he?" Ginny asked and pointed to the door.

"Who?" Hermione asked. All three of her friends stared at her accusingly.

"You've always been a terrible liar, Hermione." Harry said. Hermione nodded.

"I know." She whispered. Ron got up off the couch and walked swiftly to library door. He knocked loudly.

"Malfoy!" He yelled. "Get your Death Eater arse out here!" His face was red in anger, and Hermione knew that under no circumstances was this going to end well.

"Ron!" She whispered fiercely. "Leave him alone."

"So you're taking his side now?" Ron asked. He banged on the door even louder.

"This isn't about taking sides!" Hermione said. "I'm supposed to protect him, so that's what I'm doing!"

The door suddenly swung open, and Draco stepped out. He looked livid and unlike himself. It was as if Hermione was seeing a different side of him. His eyes were dark, and his expression was cold.

"I can protect myself." He said. The comment was directed towards her, but his gaze remained on Ron.

"I didn't mean that you couldn't." Hermione said apologetically. She didn't want to ruin what progress she had made with him.

"I think you should leave." Draco told Ron. His voice was angry and Hermione knew that he was trying his best to control his anger.

"First of all, this isn't your apartment so you don't get to tell me when to leave." Ron said. "And second of all I'll leave whenever I bloody well feel like it." He smiled triumphantly in Draco's menacing face. Draco clenched his fist together and turned to Hermione.

"They leave, or I do." He said.

"Draco--"

"Make your choice." He told her. Hermione looked back and forth between her friends and Draco. Harry, Ron, and Ginny looked as if they knew she would choose them no matter what. She, however, wasn't so sure. Last night, she would've been glad to be rid of Draco. After tonight though, her opinion had changed. She knew that preparing dinner for her had been his way of apologizing for insulting her. Hermione was torn in both directions and she didn't know what to do.

She begged silently for a sign, something to tell her what to do. She found it in Draco's eyes. He looked at her and his eyes softened, if only for a second. It was then that she knew. He needed her, no matter how much he would deny it.

Hermione turned towards the expectant faces of Harry, Ron, and Ginny.

"You should go." She whispered. Just as she suspected, they all looked surprised and hurt. Ginny nodded.

"That's it, then." She said. "We go." She walked past Hermione and went to the door. Harry looked back and forth between Hermione and Draco and then shook his head.

"I don't understand." He told her. Hermione smiled softly.

"You don't have to."

Harry followed Ginny to the door, and they exited together. Ron remained in front of Draco, glaring fiercely.

"Ron..." Hermione warned. Ron raised his fist and Hermione thought he was going to punch Draco. At the last moment, however, he lowered his arm. He walked towards the door, but stopped when he got in front of Hermione. He looked at her as if he didn't know her anymore, and Hermione's heart clenched with guilt. She watched as Ron turned and walked out of the door. It slammed behind him.

When Hermione turned around, Draco's expression had returned to normal. His eyes met hers and he opened his mouth to say something, but stopped. Hermione smiled faintly.

"You're welcome." She said. Draco nodded and dropped his gaze from her face to the table.

"I'll clean up." He told her.

"Okay." She whispered, and walked slowly to her room. More than anything else, she really needed some time to think through what had just taken place.

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_**this is my longest and favorite chapter.**_

**_let me know what you think :)_**


	6. Chapter 5

Hermione knocked loudly on Draco's bedroom door.

"Draco," she said. "I know you're in there!" She heard the creaking of the floorboards and then the door swung open revealing Draco in gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt.

"What?" He asked. His tone sounded aggravated, and Hermione knew it was because she had just woken him up. However, she found that she didn't care.

"Get dressed," Hermione said. "We're going out." Draco's eyes lit up slightly.

"Out?" He asked. "Where?" Hermione tapped her foot impatiently.

"Does it matter?" She asked.

"Yes," Draco said. "I'm not being hauled off to some crazy muggle event." Hermione glared at him.

"Do you want to leave the apartment or not?" She asked. Draco's eyes narrowed.

"Fine," he muttered, and then slammed the door in her face. Hermione smiled. She knew that would get him. He had been living with her for a little over a month, and had yet to leave the confinement of Hermione's living space. She figured he probably felt like a prisoner, and had decided to take him somewhere special. Besides, she was in a good mood and wanted to make it up to him for how her friends had treated him.

"Draco!" Hermione called loudly. Draco opened his door and walked slowly down the stairs.

"Granger," he said when he reached her. "Shut up." Apparently, Hermione decided, he was not a morning person. She ignored his comment, and grabbed his wrist and began heading toward the door. When they got to the door, he shook her grip off.

"I'm coming," he said. "I don't need you dragging me around." Hermione sighed in a frustrated manner.

"Fine," she said shortly. "Come on." She exited the apartment and walked down the stairs. Draco followed a few feet behind her. When they reached the ground level, Hermione walked to her car and began opening the driver's side door.

"What is that?" Draco asked. Hermione laughed. She had forgotten that he came from the wizarding world and had no idea what cars or any other muggle inventions were.

"It's a car," Hermione stated. "You use it for transportation." Draco scowled at the car, but opened the door and got in. Hermione smiled slightly before getting in and starting the engine.

_This should be an interesting day_, she thought.

**xxx**

"What is this place?" Draco asked as they walked into a huge brick building.

"It's a muggle bank," Hermione whispered. "So don't make a scene."

"Wasn't going to," Draco said, though his tone of voice said otherwise. They approached a counter that was so far in the back of the room, you would've missed it if you weren't specifically looking for it. The girl at the counter was turned around so her back was facing them.

"Parvati!" Hermione exclaimed. The girl turned around and smiled brightly.

"Hermione," she said. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"I've been busy," Hermione whispered, and gestured towards Draco. Parvati's eyes widened.

"Is that—"

"Yes," Hermione said. "And it would be best if you didn't mention this to anyone." Parvati nodded.

"Of course," she said, though she threw a disapproving glance in Draco's direction. When she turned back to Hermione, however, she was smiling once again. "So, what can I do for you?" She asked.

"Well," Hermione started. "I need muggle money. The usual amount." Parvati nodded and turned to Draco.

"What about you?" She asked in a fake polite tone.

"Oh," Hermione said. "He doesn't—"

"Three thousand pounds," Draco said, cutting her off. Hermione looked at him in surprise as Parvati went to fetch their money.

"I thought you knew nothing about the muggle world," Hermione said when Parvati was out of earshot. Draco shrugged.

"Maybe you shouldn't assume you know everything," he said coldly. Hermione looked away and watched as Parvati came back into view. She handed them their respective amounts.

"Come back soon." She told Hermione. Hermione smiled.

"I will," she said. "It was nice seeing you." Hermione turned and began walking quickly to her car, purposefully ignoring Draco. She was beginning to regret letting him out of the apartment.

**xxx**

"We're here," Hermione said as they parked in front of yet another brick building. This one was much smaller than the bank, and had many windows.

"Where exactly is here?" Draco asked. He looked unsure and slightly disgusted as he watched all the muggles enter the small store.

"You'll see," Hermione said, and she got out of the car. Draco followed after her and they entered the store. There were hundreds of books lining shelves all around the store, and a small coffee shop sat in the back. Muggles sat reading the books in various chairs placed around the store.

"It's a book store," Hermione said.

"Obviously," Draco drawled. Hermione frowned. She was expecting a little more emotion from Draco. Since he seemed to enjoy reading so much, she thought he would like visiting the bookstore. Draco walked down the aisles and began reading the spines of the books.

"I've never heard of any of these before," he said. Hermione nodded.

"That's because they're muggle books," she whispered. Draco immediately took a step back.

"Oh, come off it," Hermione said. "You might like them." Draco scowled.

"Doubtful," he told her. Hermione sighed and picked a few books off the shelf.

"Just give them a chance," she told him and handed him the books. Grudgingly he took them, but he handled them as if they were cursed. Hermione pushed him towards an empty chair.

"Sit," she commanded. "I'll get us some coffee." Draco glared at her, but took a seat and began reading one of the books. He was so immersed in his reading that he didn't notice when Hermione returned. Her voice broke his concentration.

"Admit it," she said as he looked up at her. She handed him his coffee.

"Admit what?" Draco asked.

"That I was right," Hermione replied. Draco scoffed.

"And give you the satisfaction?" He drawled. "I don't think so." Hermione rolled her eyes, though her lips formed a slight smile.

"You're impossible," she said. Draco smirked.

"So I've been told." He turned back around to face the front of the store and his eyes widened.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked. She scanned the store for signs of danger, but found none. Draco stood up and grabbed her by the wrist. He began dragging her towards the back of the store.

"Draco," she breathed. "What's going on?" His eyes were dark and she could tell he was determined to get away from whatever it was that he had seen. He didn't answer, but continued to pull her through the aisles. When they reached the back wall, and found that there was nowhere else to run, his grip on her tightened.

"We have to disapparate," he whispered fiercely.

"What?" Hermione asked. "No." Her eyes were panicked as she stared into his dark gray ones. "You'll be caught."

"If we stay here," Draco said. "I'll be caught anyways." He then answered her question before she had time to ask it. "I saw Avery," he said. "He was heading this way."

"Avery?" Hermione asked incredulously. "But he's supposed to be in prison. It's nearly impossible to break out of Azkaban." Draco turned to look down the aisle.

"You don't know my father," he told her. "He knows how to do things even the most talented wizard has never even heard of." He dropped his head to look down at the floor. "Sooner or later, he _will_ find me. I'll be restored to my former glory." He spoke with loathing and Hermione saw for the first time how much he truly wanted to be rid of the life he had been living for the past twenty-one years. She grabbed her wand out of her pocket and took Draco's hand.

"Not if I can help it." She said. She waved her wand and within moments the room was spinning and her body was being sucked into thin air. The last thing she saw before the bookstore faded out of view was a familiar black cloak and a man with cold, murderous, brown eyes.


	7. Chapter 6

Hermione landed on top of Draco in the middle of her living room floor. Her chin rested on his shoulder and she could feel his breath on her neck. If she hadn't been so panicked, she would have registered the fact that her body involuntarily shivered, and that it wasn't because she was cold.

"Nice technique, but your landing could use a little work," Draco said. Hermione glared at him before pushing herself up off the floor. She quickly pulled out her wand and began muttering enchantments under her breath. Draco got up off the floor and dusted himself off.

"What happened to the no using magic rule?" He asked. Hermione spun around.

"It's a little late for that." She said sharply. "They've probably tracked us already."

Draco shook his head. "If they did, you would already be dead."

Hermione glared. "That's comforting," she said. Draco shrugged.

"It's the truth," he told her. Hermione sighed.

"I have to call Harry and Ron," she said. "They can help."

"We don't need their help," Draco said. Hermione had already figured that he wouldn't be too happy with her plan, but it protected him so she was going through with it—no matter what.

"They're Aurors," she said. "They need to know about Avery and they can convince the Ministry not to convict me for using magic." She looked down at her feet. "Besides, I don't like being in a fight with them."

Draco ran his fingers through his hair in a frustrated manner. "Fine," he said. "But if they try anything, I promise you I will hex them." Hermione smiled.

"I wouldn't expect anything less," she told him. Draco smirked and waved a hand in the air.

"Call them," he said. Hermione picked up her phone and dialed Harry's number since he was the only one who had a muggle phone.

"_Hello?"_ He said after the forth ring.

"Harry," Hermione said. "I know you're mad, and you have every reason to be, but I really need your help. Can you come over as soon as possible? Ron and Ginny would be a huge help as well."

There was a long pause on the other side of the line, and Hermione bit her lip as she waited for his answer.

"_We'll be right over,"_ Harry told her. Hermione smiled.

"Thank you," she whispered and the line went dead. She hung up the phone and turned around to face Draco.

"They're coming," she said.

"So I heard," Draco muttered. Hermione touched Draco's arm gently.

"Try to be nice," she whispered.

"I'm not promising anything," Draco said, but his usual venomous tone was missing. Hermione smiled at him as a knock sounded on the door.

"Come in," she called. She turned to face the door as Harry, Ron, and Ginny entered. Harry and Ginny looked happy to see her, but Ron's face still held a grimace as he stared at Draco.

"What do you need our help with?" Harry asked. "Is everything alright?" Hermione shook her head.

"We saw Avery," she told him. "He was looking for Draco. We managed to escape, but I had to use magic."

Ginny gasped. "But Avery is in Azkaban," she said. Draco scoffed and they all turned towards him.

"He's an ex-Death Eater, and one of my father's closest companions," he said. "There's nothing that can hold him."

"Helped him escape, did you?" Ron asked. He stood rigid, glaring at Draco. Draco, however, remained unfazed.

"Yes, weasel," he said sarcastically. "I helped the man who was trying to capture me escape." Draco smirked at Ron's ignorance.

"Okay," Hermione said to interrupt what was soon to become a full out brawl. "So, what I need is for Harry and Ron to track down Avery." She turned to Harry. "It would also be helpful if the Ministry could somehow forget about how I used magic around muggles."

Harry nodded. "That shouldn't be too hard," he told her.

"And me?" Ginny asked. Hermione turned towards her.

"You can cast protection spells on the apartment," she told her. Ginny nodded and Hermione hugged her. "I also need you for moral support," she whispered. Ginny smiled.

"You know I'm always here for you," she told Hermione.

"We should probably get going," Harry said, interrupting the moment. Hermione nodded.

"Right," she said. "The sooner this is all taken care of, the better." She paused for a brief moment. "Thank you," she whispered. She then turned to Ron. "Both of you." Ron softened his stance and nodded.

"We'll see you later," Harry said, and the three of them began walking towards the door.

"I'll be back soon," Ginny called as they disappeared through the threshold. Hermione turned around and smiled.

"That went well," she told Draco, who had went to sit on the couch. He scoffed as Hermione took a seat beside him.

"Thanks," she said. He turned his head to look at her.

"For?" He asked. Hermione smiled.

"Not hexing them," she replied. "I know you wanted to."

Draco smirked. "You have no idea," he drawled.

"I never knew you had that much self control," she told him and laughed. Draco watched as her eyes shined with happiness. He hadn't seen much laughter in his life, and it captivated him. When she stopped laughing, she stared at him and continued to smile. It was a smile that made him feel important, as if it was reserved just for him. When Hermione realized he was staring at her, she bit her lip and looked down at her hands. For a brief second Draco wanted to reach out and touch her. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, and concluded that he must be going crazy. He cleared his throat loudly, and she looked up.

"Right," he said. "Well, I'm going to the library." Hermione nodded.

"Okay," she whispered. She looked at him with soft eyes, and he turned and willed himself to walk away. If it had been anyone but her, he would've kissed her. He knew he wanted her, but he just couldn't take her. Not like that. There was something about her, something different than all the girls he had known before.

And, he realized with a sickening jolt, she was a mudblood. His parents would never approve. Although maybe, that only made her appeal greater.

* * *

**This chapter was quite a bit shorter than I intended, so I apologize for that. However, I have a feeling that the next chapter is going to be great. So stick with me, and I promise you won't be disappointed :)**


	8. Chapter 7

Hermione sat cross-legged on the floor in her room. Ginny sat on Hermione's bed, her legs dangling off the side.

"I have an idea," Ginny said, and Hermione looked up at her questioningly. "Why don't you invite Draco to your parent's house?"

Hermione's eyes widened.

"No," she said automatically.

"Why not?" Ginny asked. Hermione shot her an incredulous look.

"Because he's Draco Malfoy, that's why," she told Ginny. "And besides, even if I asked him, he would say no."

"How do you know?" Ginny asked. Hermione shrugged.

"I just do," she said.

"Well," said Ginny as she stood up, "I think he would say yes."

Hermione shook her head.

"No he wouldn't," she protested. Ginny sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on, Hermione," she said. "You like him, and I've seen the way he looks at you. If you ask him, he'll say yes."

Hermione bit her lip, but remained silent.

"Besides," Ginny continued, "Wouldn't you love it if for once you didn't have your parents badgering you about your love life and how you need to get out more?"

Hermione nodded, and thought about it. Her parents _were _rather annoying, and if she brought a man with her, hopefully their questions would stop.

"Okay, okay," she said. "I'll ask him. But if he says no, I'm blaming you." She walked out of her room to find Draco. She knew he would be in the library, so she knocked softly before entering. His sat in his usual position on the couch, reading. He looked up as she closed the door behind her.

"I need to ask you something, and it's okay if you say no," Hermione said. Draco put down his book.

"Ask," he said. Hermione sat down on the couch beside him.

"My parents have invited me to dinner tonight, and I was wondering if you would like to come. I know it's stupid, and it's probably the last thing you want to do, but I would really like it if you came," she said. Draco pondered for a moment.

"Okay," he said finally. Hermione's face lit up.

"Really?" She asked. Draco shrugged.

"It's not as if I have anything else to do," he told her. Hermione nodded and stood up.

"Right," she said. She walked to the door, still smiling.

"We're leaving at 5:30," she told him before exiting the library. She remained smiling brightly as she walked back to her room.

**xxx**

It was six o' clock sharp, and Hermione and Draco stood outside her parent's house. Hermione's heart was beating madly against her chest, and she had no idea what to expect.

"Are you going to knock?" Draco asked. Hermione looked dazed.

"Huh?" She asked. Draco smirked and knocked on the door. Thirty seconds later a petite woman answered the door, and Draco discovered where Hermione had inherited her hair from.

"Hermione," her mother said happily, "You've brought a friend." She ushered them inside.

"Thomas!" she called. "Hermione's here, and she's brought someone."

A few moments later a tall man wearing glasses appeared from the room beside them. He shook Draco's hand.

"I apologize for my wife," he said. "Hermione's never brought home a boyfriend before. We were beginning to think she'd never find someone. We always encouraged her to get out more, but she always preferred burying her nose in a book."

Hermione looked flushed.

"He's not my—" she started, but Draco cut her off by shaking her father's hand.

"Draco Malfoy," he said. Hermione's mother's eyes widened.

"The Draco Malfoy?" she asked, and then turned to Hermione. "He doesn't seem all that vile and despicable to me."

Draco shot Hermione a questioning look. Hermione shrugged.

"Well you were," she whispered.

"How rude of me to leave you standing here," Hermione's mother said. "Come in, dinner is ready." She showed them to the dinning room, and they all sat down. Draco took a seat beside Hermione, and her parents sat across from the two of them.

"So Draco," Hermione's father said once they had begun eating. "I assume you are a wizard?" Draco nodded. "And your parents?" He asked. Draco glanced at Hermione for a split second before answering.

"Yes," he answered shortly. He wasn't in the mood to talk about his parents.

"When did you two meet?" Hermione's mother asked. Hermione squirmed.

"At school," Draco answered. He was rather enjoying Hermione being uncomfortable. Earlier he had already decided to play along with the whole boyfriend thing, so he figured he should get whatever out of it he could. "But it wasn't until recently that we moved in together."

Hermione kept her head down and stared at her plate. Her cheeks were a deep shade of pink.

"That's nice," her mother said. "I'm glad our Hermione has finally found someone."

"You know, it's funny," her father said. "Hermione used to talk about how much she loathed you."

"Is that so?" Draco asked. He glanced at Hermione and smirked. She had remained silent the entire time.

"What is your opinion on children?" Hermione's mother asked suddenly. Draco nearly choked on the roll he was eating, and he noticed Hermione almost spit out her drink. Her eyes widened in horror as she stared at her mother. Draco opened and closed his mouth, but found that no words came. There were many retorts to this question that he could think of, but thought that they would be better kept to himself. He had a feeling neither Hermione nor her parents would be too happy if he voiced his opinions.

"I'm not sure," he answered finally. Hermione's mother made a small humming noise in her throat and Hermione released the breath she had been holding.

"That's okay," her mother said. "You two still have plenty of time to think about it."

After dinner Hermione's parents walked with them to the door. Draco talked with her father while her mother talked to Hermione.

"He seems like a very nice boy," Hermione's mother said. Hermione tried her hardest not to scoff. "You should hold on to him." Hermione smiled.

"I will," she said. Her mother hugged her.

"I'm so glad you found someone," she said happily. Hermione looked down at the floor.

"Yeah," she muttered. "Me too." She felt bad for lying to her parents, but they seemed so happy and she didn't want to disappoint them. She thought it would be best if she kept the real truth from them. They had never fully understood the magical world anyways.

Draco grabbed her arm. "Ready?" He asked. Hermione nodded and followed him out the door. She waved to her parents as the door closed behind them.

Once outside, Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. Draco instantly dropped the fake smile he had been making, and returned to his usual scowl.

"I feel like I need to hex someone," he said. "I thought we were never getting out of there."

"You're the one who made them think we were dating," she said accusingly. "They probably think that the next time I see them I'll be wearing an engagement ring." Draco scoffed.

"It's not like I enjoyed being a parent's perfect idea of a boyfriend," he said. Hermione glared at him.

"You did too," she said. "I saw the way you were smirking." Draco waved her comment off.

"I need to do something destructive," he said suddenly. Hermione looked at him like he was crazy.

"What?" she asked. Draco turned towards her.

"Come on, lighten up," he said. "Haven't you ever wanted to do something, but you stopped yourself because you thought it was wrong?"

"Well…" Hermione said. "There was this one thing." She shook her head. "But I couldn't."

"Yes, you can," Draco said. "For once in your life, Granger, don't think. Just do."

Hermione smiled and grabbed Draco by the arm.

"Okay," she said. "Follow me."

* * *

**_I'm really excited for the next chapter, and I hope it will be up soon._**


	9. Chapter 8

Twenty minutes later Draco and Hermione stood in front of the bookstore that they had visited earlier. Hermione held two huge cream colored bags.

"This is your idea of destructive?" Draco asked, "Stealing books from a bookstore?" Hermione glared at him.

"Oh, shut up," she said. She handed him one of the bags, and reluctantly he took it. Hermione walked up to the store and turned the knob.

"It's locked," she said. Draco smirked.

"Did you really expect it to be open?" He asked. Hermione ignored him.

"If I could only use magic," she said, and continued to examine the doorknob. She had no experience in the muggle way of breaking and entering, and was clueless to how they were supposed to get in. Draco scoffed.

"Get out of the way," he said, and Hermione noticed he had picked up a metal chair that had previously been sitting on the sidewalk.

"What are you doing?" she asked. Draco smirked.

"Breaking into a bookstore," he told her and then threw the chair through the glass window of the store. Shards of glass flew in all directions, and Hermione screamed. An alarm began to sound, and she looked at Draco with scared eyes.

"The police are going to come after us," she said as Draco began climbing through the broken window. He turned around to look at her, and smirked.

"Then we don't have much time," he said. He held out his hand for her, and she stared at it. "Come on, Granger," Draco said. "Do something reckless."

Hermione smiled slightly and took his hand with her own. He squeezed it gently as he helped her climb into the bookstore. Fully expecting him to drop her hand when she got inside, she was pleasantly surprised when he didn't. His hands were smooth from his lack of hard work, and she blushed as she realized hers were slightly rough. Luckily, Draco didn't seem to notice her embarrassment.

"So," Draco said, "What books would you like?"

Hermione looked at the rows and rows of books. How could she possibly be made to choose?

"All of them," she said breathlessly. Draco smirked.

"In that case," he said, "I'll start on this side, and you start on that side." He dropped her hand and began throwing books into his bag. Hermione walked around to the other side and began carefully filling her bag with books. She was so intent on concentrating on the books that she barely heard the sounds of sirens in the distance.

"The police," she breathed. She grasped the bag tightly in her hand and walked towards the back of the store. "Draco," she whispered, "Where are you?"

The amount of light decreased as Hermione neared the back of the store, and she became frantic with worry. Two police cars parked outside of the store, and two men quickly got out. They held small guns, and steadily pointed them towards the building.

"Draco," Hermione whispered again, "Please still be here." She increased her pace and walked until she came to the very back wall. She watched as one of the police, a tall man with brown hair, entered the store and headed in her direction.

"You can't escape," he said, "We have all the exits blocked." His voice was deep and Hermione realized that in a few moments she was going to be arrested. The odds were, apparently, not in her favor.

"Put your hands behind your head and walk slowly to the front of the store," the policeman said. Hermione bit her lip and walked forward. She figured it would be easiest if she turned herself in. As she began to take her second step, she was thrown against the wall and a hand covered her mouth. She looked up and found herself looking at Draco. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and removed his hand from her mouth.

"I thought you left me," she told him. Her heart was pounding against her chest as he leaned forward to whisper into her ear.

"Then you really don't know me all that well," he said. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her head to his chest. Before she had time to question what was going on, the room was spinning and she was falling through a spiraling tunnel. Just when she thought the spinning would never cease, her feet hit solid ground. Draco released her and her eyes searched the room. She was back in her apartment.

"You used magic!" she said. Draco shrugged.

"Did you have a better way of getting out of there?" he asked. Hermione bit her lip. He had her there.

"Well, no, but…" she trailed off as she noticed the two cream colored bags at their feet. Her eyes widened.

"We stole books from a bookstore," she whispered. Draco smirked.

"Yes, we did."

Hermione shook her head.

"We committed a crime," she told Draco. "We should be in jail."

Draco walked toward her as Hermione backed away.

"But we're not," Draco said. "I got us out of there."

Hermione turned and walked to her room. Draco followed her and watched as she paced back and forth.

"I committed a crime. I committed a crime. I committed a crime," she repeated over and over again under her breath.

"It _was_ your idea," Draco said. Hermione stopped her pacing long enough to glare at him, and then continued to mutter under her breath. After a minute or so she froze and turned towards him.

"We have to take them back," she said loudly.

"What?" Draco asked incredulously. Hermione resumed her pacing.

"But we can't do that," she said. "We'll be arrested." She sighed and bit her lip. "What am I going to do?" she asked herself. "I can't believe I broke the law. _Me_ of all people."

"Granger," Draco said. "Snap out of it." Hermione didn't seem to hear him and continued walking back and forth. "Hermione," Draco whispered. Immediately she stopped, and Draco walked over to her. He placed her hands on her shoulders to try and calm her.

"I'll send the books back using magic, and you can write the owners a letter telling them how sorry you are," he said. "Everything will be fine." Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Draco put a finger over her lips.

"Don't worry," he said. "Harry will take care of the muggles and the ministry." Hermione visibly relaxed and Draco released his finger from her lips. Hermione looked up at him, her eyes shining. Her gaze fell from his eyes to his lips, and they lingered there.

"Draco," she whispered and then slowly began to stand on her tiptoes. She placed a light kiss on his lips before turning her head and blushing. Draco blinked once before placing his hand on her cheek. He turned her face to look toward him.

"What was that for?" he asked. Hermione smiled shyly.

"You called me Hermione," she whispered. Draco smirked.

"If I knew that was all it took, I would've done it a long time ago," he said. He pulled her face to his and crashed his lips to hers. It was hungry, as if he wanted to taste every inch of her. She smiled against his lips as he relaxed and began kissing her tenderly. His hand rubbed small circles on her back as she ran her fingers through his hair. Feeling exhilarated, Hermione guided him toward her bed. She lay back, with him on top of her—all the time neither of them ever breaking contact. Draco placed a kiss on her collarbone, and then pushed himself up on his elbows. His eyes asked her for permission, which she gladly gave.

"I'm sure," she told him, and his lips once again meshed with hers.

* * *

**_Sorry it took me so long to update. I was on vacation and didn't have internet sevice. I hope the wait was worth it :)_**


	10. Chapter 9

Hermione felt fingertips running lightly up and down her arm. She blinked so that the light streaming in from the window became less painful. As she did, she smiled and recalled the memory of last night. She sighed contently and then rolled over to face Draco. His hair was perfect, unlike hers, which had become a tangled mess of curls.

"Good morning," she whispered. Draco smirked and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Sleep well?" he asked. Hermione smiled.

"Unbelievably well, actually," she replied.

"Good," Draco said. He shifted upward in the bed to get a better look at her. As he did, Hermione noticed the faintest outline of the dark mark on his left arm.

"You really have it," she murmured. Draco glanced down at his arm.

"You doubted that I did?" he asked. Hermione shook her head.

"No," she said. "It just somehow makes it more real seeing it with my own eyes." Draco started to cover his arm with the sheet when Hermione stopped him. She sat up in the bed, and turned his arm over. Then, gingerly, she began tracing the outline of the dark mark with her index finger.

"Don't hide it," she said, "It's part of what made you who you are today." Draco scowled, but said nothing and let her continue tracing the outline of the mark.

"You're driving me mad doing that," Draco said, "You know that, right?" Hermione smiled and looked up at him.

"Oh really?" She asked teasingly. Draco smirked and crashed his lips to hers. He then rolled himself on top of her, and pinned her arms above her. He lifted his head so that their noses were an inch apart.

"The situations you get yourself into, Granger," he said. Hermione laughed softly and her eyes sparkled. Draco kissed the corner of her mouth, and then rolled off of her.

"Get dressed," he said as he began doing just that.

"Why?" Hermione asked. She was perfectly content to stay in bed all day.

"Because I want to go out," Draco told her. Hermione gave him a look that said _I don't believe you_. Draco smirked.

"Come on," he said. "Be reckless." Hermione smiled.

"Now where have I heard that before?" she asked sarcastically. Draco turned to look at her lying in the bed.

"And look where that got you," he told her. Hermione sighed and then got up slowly.

"Why do I have a feeling like I'm going to regret this?" she muttered under her breath.

**xxx**

One hour later Draco and Hermione stood outside a small jewelry store.

"What are we doing here?" Hermione asked. Draco smirked and took her hand. He then began pulling her toward the store.

"You ask too many questions," he told her. He opened the door to the store and pulled her in. Hermione's eyes widened as she looked around at the many cases of jewelry. She'd never seen so many diamonds.

"Pick out whatever you like," Draco said from behind her. She turned around.

"Draco I couldn't possibly—,"

"You can and you will," Draco said. He pushed her lightly towards the nearest case of jewelry. Hermione bit her lip and began looking at the many rings. They were beautiful. However, she wasn't much of a ring person. She had always preferred necklaces.

Draco watched as she made her way to the case full of necklaces. She gasped, and Draco walked over to her. She was looking at a simple silver diamond necklace. The single diamond was in the shape of a square and was small, but elegant.

"It's perfect," Hermione whispered. Draco motioned for the woman who was at the cash register. She walked over to them, a smile plastered on her pale face.

"Did you find something you like?" she asked politely. Draco nodded and pointed to the necklace in the case.

"We'll take that one," he told her. The woman continued smiling and went around the counter to retrieve the necklace.

"A fine piece," she said as she took it up to the cash register. Draco followed her and began paying for the necklace while Hermione waited outside.

When Draco was finished, he found Hermione by her car.

"Thank you," she told him, "It's amazing." Draco nodded.

"Turn around," he told her. She did as she was told and lifted up her hair. Draco removed the necklace from its case and gingerly put it around Hermione's neck. As he clasped it, he placed a light kiss on the side of her neck. Hermione smiled and turned back around.

"It looks like I'm officially dating a Malfoy," Hermione teased. Draco smirked.

"What _will _everyone think?" he asked. Hermione smiled.

"Probably that you imperiused me," she said. Draco leaned forward so that he could whisper in her ear.

"And who said that I haven't?" he asked. Hermione playfully swatted him away and got in the car. Draco grudgingly got in the passengers side. He still wasn't used to riding in a muggle car.

As Hermione began driving home, she turned to Draco.

"We should have people over," she said. Draco scowled.

"And by people you mean Potter and the two Weasleys, correct?" he asked. Hermione nodded.

"I haven't seen them in a while," she said, "I miss them." Draco sighed.

"Fine," he said, "But I better get something out of this. And if they try something, I'm hexing them."

Hermione turned to him, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Deal," she said.


	11. Chapter 10

The doorbell rang three times before Hermione answered the door.

"Sorry," she told her three best friends. "I was cooking." She ushered them inside and took their coats.

"Thanks for inviting us," Ginny told her. "We've really missed you." Hermione smiled. She had missed them quite a bit as well. All three of them seemed truly glad to see her, but Hermione felt that their happiness wouldn't last long.

"Draco!" she called. He had been brooding in the library the entire day.

"You invited _him_?" Ron asked. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, Ronald," she said. "He lives here, remember?" Ron shoved his hands in his jeans pockets.

"Doesn't mean you have to invite him," he muttered. Hermione ignored his comment and motioned to the table.

"Sit down," she said as Draco walked into the kitchen. Hermione passed by him on her way to grab the food.

"Behave," she warned. Draco smirked and ran his index finger lightly down her spine. She shivered at the contact.

"I will if you will," he said and then went to sit down at the table. Ron glared at him while Ginny smiled slightly. Hermione grabbed the food from the kitchen and sat it on the table. Then, she took her place beside Draco.

"How have you been, Hermione?" Harry asked once everyone had piled their plates with food. Hermione looked up at him.

"Good," she replied. She then snuck a glance at Draco and smiled. "Great, actually."

"Anymore trouble with Death Eaters?" Harry asked. Hermione shook her head.

"No," she told him.

"They're still out there, though," Draco said. Ron scowled and turned towards him.

"You would know," he said. Draco smirked.

"Haven't we already had this conversation, Weasel?" he drawled. Ron's ears turned pink and he clenched his fist. Ginny cleared her throat loudly.

"We won the Quidditch World Cup," she said. Hermione mentally reminded herself to thank Ginny for changing the subject later. Ginny had always been her saving grace.

"I heard," Hermione said. "Congratulations." Ginny beamed.

"Thanks," she said. Harry smiled at Ginny and squeezed her hand. Hermione smiled at the two of them. She was glad that they had found each other. Hermione went to take a drink of water when she felt Draco's hand brush across her thigh. She turned towards him and glared.

"Now is not a good time," she whispered harshly. Draco smirked.

"It seems like a good time to me," he replied. Hermione sighed at turned towards her three friends.

"As much as I truly wanted to see you, there is a different reason why I invited you over," she told them. They all looked up at her, confusion clearly written on their face.

"You see, I'm," she paused, "I mean, Draco and I, we're—"

"Together," Draco finished for her. Hermione nodded and braced herself for what was to come. At first, no one said anything. They all looked at her without an expression. Then, finally, it came. Ron began laughing uncharacteristically, and Harry looked deadpanned. Ginny, however, smiled. Hermione had a feeling that an "I told you so" was coming. After a minute or so of nothing but Ron's hysterical laughter, Hermione became agitated.

"Will one of you please say something?" she asked.

"I knew it!" Ginny said. Hermione smiled. That was definitely something. Ron's laughter increased.

"Oh for Merlin's sake, Ron," Hermione said. "Stop laughing!" Ginny smacked her brother on the back of his head. He stopped laughing, and glared at her.

"What was that for?" he asked, rubbing his head. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"For being an arse, that's what," she said. "Can't you at least be happy for her?" Ron scowled as he looked at Draco.

"Not when she's with _him_," he muttered. Harry, who had been silent the entire time, turned to Hermione.

"Are you happy with him?" he asked. Hermione nodded and took Draco's hand.

"Very," she replied. Harry sighed.

"Then congratulations, Hermione," he said. Hermione smiled and got up to hug him.

"Thank you," she said. Harry stood up, as did Ginny.

"As much as I would love to stay," Harry said, "I think I should take Ron home." Ron grudgingly got up and approached Draco.

"If you hurt her, I'll kill you," he said. Draco nodded.

"Noted," he said. Ron then proceeded to follow Harry and Ginny out the door.

"We're really happy for you!" Ginny called as they exited the apartment. When the door closed Hermione and Draco walked over and sat down on the couch.

"That went better than I expected," Hermione said. Draco scowled.

"Exactly how many more times are we going to have them over?" he asked. Hermione laughed and rested her head on his chest.

"It wasn't that bad," she said. Draco shrugged and leaned down to kiss her.

"Is now a better time?" He whispered when he came up for air. Hermione smiled.

"It seems like a good time to me."

* * *

**_Sorry this chapter was so short, but I've been really busy lately. I hope you enjoyed it all the same :)  
_**


	12. Chapter 11

Draco threw a pillow over his head to block out the annoying repetitive tapping noise. Apparently, Draco decided, owls had no sense of time. The tapping grew louder and Draco groaned and got out of bed. Hermione stirred, but didn't wake.

Draco quietly walked to the window to let the owl in, but stopped when he first spotted the creature. He had seen it before. Many times in fact. The dark brown owl sat perched on the window, scratching at the glass. Cautiously Draco unlatched the window and let the owl in. The owl dropped the letter it had been holding and then quickly flew back out the window. Draco watched it fly off until it was out of sight, and then slowly bent down to pick the letter up. He turned it over and ran his finger over the seal.

It was his father's.

He felt lightheaded, and sat down on the bed. Luckily, Hermione remained sleeping. Holding his breath, Draco opened the letter. A picture of Hermione and him fell out and onto his lap. They were standing by her car, and Draco was placing the necklace around her neck. Draco's heart began beating faster as he removed the rest of the contents of the letter. Two more pictures and a letter were enclosed. The first picture showed Draco and Hermione kissing, and the second one showed Hermione by herself. On the picture, Draco's father had drawn a black Dark Mark on top of Hermione's body.

Draco placed the pictures back in the envelope and glanced over at Hermione's sleeping form. He felt an overwhelming urge to protect her. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before.

Finally, Draco turned back to the letter and worked up to the nerve to read it. He braced himself and began reading.

_Draco,_

_It has come to my attention that you have been in the company of the Mudblood Granger girl. This, I must say, disappoints me. Was it not enough that you disgraced the Malfoy name by being unable to kill your incompetent headmaster? You have further brought disgrace to our name by bedding a Mudblood. No matter, it is something that can easily be fixed. Avery is the only other that knows of your traitorous acts, and he can easily be dealt with. The Mudblood will, of course, have to be dealt with as well. My advice to you is to kill her, and come back to the manor. The remaining loyal followers of the Dark Lord and I will be waiting for you._

_Deal with her, Draco, or we will._

_LM_

"What's that?" Draco heard Hermione's voice ask from behind him. Draco quickly shoved the letter back in the envelope, and spun around to face her.

"This?" he asked. "Nothing important."

Hermione bit her lip as she walked over to face him.

"You're lying," she stated simply. She reached for the envelope, but Draco hid it behind his back.

"I said it was nothing," he said coldly. He walked out of her bedroom, and went upstairs to his. He was shoving his belongings into his suitcase when he heard Hermione come up the stairs. She watched him with confused and hurt eyes.

"You're leaving?" she asked. Draco nodded.

"It's time for me to go," he said.

"Go?" Hermione asked. "Where?"

Draco sighed in a frustrated manner. This was going to be the hardest thing he had ever had to do. He stopped packing, and faced her. His eyes were distant and cold.

"Listen," he said, "It was fun while it lasted. But let's face it—I'm a Malfoy, and you're a…Mudblood. It would never work."

Hermione's eyes began watering.

"So that's it?" She asked angrily. "I'm a filthy little Mudblood and you don't want to be with me?"

Draco nodded.

"That's exactly it," he said. He grabbed his suitcase and walked to the top of the stairs where she was standing. "Now get out of my way," he said.

She moved slightly and he pushed past her. Hermione then proceeded to follow him.

"It was all a lie, wasn't it?" she asked. Draco stopped and turned around.

"What?" he asked. Hermione bit her lip.

"Everything," she said. "Our entire relationship. You never really lo—" she stopped in mid sentence.

"Loved you?" Draco asked. He was caught off guard by the question, but knew what his answer should be. "How could I?" he asked. Hermione nodded as tears began falling down her face. Draco pulled out his wand and pointed it at her chest.

"Petrificus Totalis!" he yelled, and Hermione's body became rigid.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "But I can't have you following me. I care about you too much."

He then tightened his grip on his suitcase and walked out of the door, presumably for the last time.

* * *

_**I'm thinking that there will be two more chapters to this story, but I haven't decided yet. Let me know what you think about this one :)  
**_


	13. Chapter 12

Draco stood on the steps of Malfoy Manor and looked up at the massive white house. He searched the windows for his bedroom and found it instantly. It was the only one that was half opened. Draco guessed that his parents had expected him to return to the Manor by his own choice. They had apparently grown tired of waiting, though. He was returning not because he wanted to, but because he had no other choice.

He took a deep breath before knocking on the door. It was instantly opened by a man Draco recognized as Thorn, a man who had become a Death Eater minutes before the war. He was in his late twenties, but already bore many scars. The most prominent one ran diagonal across his mouth.

"We've been expecting you," he rasped and motioned for Draco to enter the house. Grudgingly, Draco followed him into the foyer. The only light in the room came from the lit fireplace in the far left corner. His father and two other men Draco faintly remembered stood in the middle of the room, staring intently at him. The two men wore black robes with hoods and stood rigid like body guards around Lucius.

"How good of you to make it," Draco's father drawled.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Draco replied through clenched teeth. His father smirked.

"The Mudblood has been taken care of then?" he asked. Draco nodded.

"Good," Lucius said. "Then there is something else that must be done." He snapped his fingers and another man in a black robe appeared. He was dragging a whimpering Avery by his arm.

"Lucius, please," Avery whispered. Draco's father's face remained without an expression.

"Begging will get you nowhere, Avery," he drawled. "Surely you have learned that by now."

Avery made a small high-pitched noise and turned to Draco with pleading eyes.

"Please," he begged. "I won't tell anyone about your affair with the Mudblood, if you only spare me."

"Enough!" Lucius yelled. "I will not have you corrupting the name of my son." He waved his hand towards the man who had brought Avery in. "Kill him," he commanded. Before Draco had any time to protest, a flash of green light hit Avery in the back. He fell over on his stomach and lay unmoving. Draco had seen death before, many times in fact, but this was somehow different. This time he actually understood the weight of what killing another person was. Silently he mourned all the death he had caused. It wasn't something he was proud of.

"Now," Lucius said, stepping over Avery's body to approach Draco. "Are you ready to serve the Dark Lord?"

"The Dark Lord is no more," Draco said. Immediately Lucius's hand rose as if he was going to strike Draco. Draco tensed, preparing for it, but no contact came. Lucius slowly lowered his hand.

"You are right," he said. "However, there are ways to bring him back."

Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He knew, without a doubt, that there was no way the Dark Lord could return.

"Hold out your arm," Lucius commanded. Draco stalled. "Now!" Lucius said. Draco slowly raised his arm to show his father the fading Dark Mark.

"It is almost gone," his father remarked. Draco didn't reply, but stood staring into the eyes of his father. His old self would've cowered behind Lucius's penetrating gaze, but he found that he had been liberated and no longer felt afraid of his father.

"No matter," Lucius continued. "We can fix that." He raised his wand and slowly lowered it to Draco's arm.

"NO!" Draco heard a voice scream suddenly. He spun around and found Hermione, who was being held back by Thorn. _How did she find me?_, Draco wondered.

"What is she doing here?" Lucius roared at Draco. "You told me that you had taken care of her."

Draco ignored his father and remained staring at Hermione. She looked at him with scared and worried eyes.

"Fine," Lucius said. "If you can't, I will." he raised his wand at pointed it at Hermione. Hermione closed her eyes, preparing for what was to come.

"No," Draco said suddenly. "I'll do it."

Hermione opened her eyes and stared at him. It was obvious that she had no clue rather he would truly kill her or not. Truthfully, he had no idea himself. There was no way she would make it out alive, not when there were five Death Eaters around. If she had to die, he would rather it be by his own hands.

Slowly Draco raised his wand. He knew that he would regret this for the rest of his life. He had fallen in love with her, and with her gone there would be nothing left to keep him from returning to his old ways. He never thought that one person could mean so much to him.

The wand finally reached the level at Hermione's chest and Draco took a deep breath while Hermione closed her eyes. Tears were streaming down his face.

"Avada--" he started, when he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. It was coming from behind Hermione, a little to the left. Draco could just make out three figures, each grasping their wands.

"Kedavra!" Draco finished and a jet of green light shot out from his wand. At the last second Draco had flicked his wand slightly to the right, so that his intended victim had been his own father. Lucius gave him one last surprised look before he fell to the floor with a loud thud.

As Draco stared at his father's lifeless body, chaos broke out all around him. The three figures--Harry, Ron, and Ginny--emerged from the darkness and instantly began taking down the remaining Death Eaters. It was an easy task since they had caught them off guard. Within seconds, they all fell to the floor in a state much like Lucius had moments before.

Hermione, who had sunk to her knees sobbing after her captor had been killed, finally stood. Slowly she made her way to Draco who stood over his father's body. She laid a shaky hand on his arm.

"I--" she started, but found that no words came.

"I was never going to kill you," Draco said without looking at her. "You know that, right?"

Hermione nodded slightly.

"At first I thought I could, but I realized that you mean too much to me," he continued. "If you died, there wouldn't be much point to me living."

Hermione slowly moved her hand down his arm until she reached his hand. She squeezed it gently.

"Come on," Draco said and began pulling her towards the door. Hermione looked back at Lucius.

"But what about?" she asked. Draco shook his head.

"He's where he would want to be," he told her. "He died serving the Dark Lord,"

Hermione nodded.

"We should go," Harry called from up ahead. The other three were already preparing to disapparate.

"Ready?" Hermione asked Draco.

"Almost," Draco said. "I just have one question."

"Okay," Hermione said. Draco smirked.

"How exactly did you get here when I petrified you?"

Hermione laughed.

"You forgot," she said. "Ginny and I charmed our apartment. Magic only appears to work there. I only pretended to be petrified."

"You really can be daft sometimes," she added as an afterthought. Draco smirked.

"So you keep telling me."

* * *

_**it took me wayyyy too long to update, but i was incredibly busy. the next chapter will be the last!  
**_


	14. Epologue

Charles Miller, owner of Miller's Books & More, walked into his store on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Perched on the front desk was a small grey owl with a letter in its beak. Charles wondered how on earth the owl had entered his store and briefly questioned his sanity. He was getting too old for this.

He adjusted his glasses and carefully approached the owl. He had heard many tales of wild animals, and was determined not to catch some outlandish disease. Though he was sixty-three, he was not yet ready to die. The owl dropped the letter and stared at him with expectant eyes. Charles quickly grabbed the letter and began opening it. He made sure to watch the owl out of the corner of his eye. As he unfolded the envelope he first noticed the elegant handwriting.

_To Whomever This Concerns, _the letter read.

_I hope you will accept my sincerest apologies for breaking into your store and stealing your wonderful books. It was a terrible thing to do and I am deeply sorry. I have returned each and every book (they are sitting behind the counter), and I would be glad to pay you for the broken window. I would also like to invite you to my wedding. I know the invitation sounds strange coming from a complete stranger, but I actually contribute some of my relationship to you. You see, it is on the day that we (meaning my husband-to-be and myself) broke into your store that we finally got together. I have written the date and address of our wedding on the back of this letter. I understand completely if you do not want to attend, but if you are planning to I would like if you would RSVP. Just write a reply and give it to the owl. He will get it to me. Again, I apologize for my childish act. It truly was uncharacteristic of me._

_Sincerely,_

_Hermione (soon to be Malfoy) Granger _

Charles blinked quickly as he looked up from the letter. The owl continued to stare at him. Its eyes followed him as Charles walked behind his desk. Sure enough, there sat two tan bags full of books. He stood dumbfounded for a moment before frantically searching through the desk's drawers for a piece of paper and a pen. He found a pencil instead, and tore off a piece of a yellow flyer. Scribbling quickly, he wrote his reply to Hermione's letter. He held out the piece of paper and the owl greedily took it.

The owl then turned his head in the direction of the door and made a small noise. Charles understood that that meant the door needed to be opened, so he did just that. Then, he watched as the owl flew off into the sky.

"I must be crazy," Charles whispered to himself. Then he shook his head and walked back into his store.

It was going to take a while to get all the books back in proper order.

* * *

**The end! I hope I didn't disappoint and I thank everyone for reading. I had great comments throughout my entire story. I look forward to reading comments from everyone on my next story (whenever that will be).**

**Thanks again for reading!**


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